There's a fly in my SOPA

Since the news broke today that one of our competitors wholeheartedly supports the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), many of you have asked us about our position on the matter.

Let us be clear: Namecheap is not in favor of SOPA as it has been proposed.

Why are we against the proposed SOPA legislation? It***8217;s very simple; at Namecheap, we believe in internet freedom.

When you register a domain name, you can do anything you wish with it within the confines of the law. That is the essence of the Internet; the ability for anyone anywhere to make a meaningful contribution to the commons, and to have that contribution recognized. We***8217;re proud to be a very small part of the wonderful things that our users have created online.

SOPA, as proposed, would give unprecedented remedies to owners of intellectual property. While protection of intellectual property is important, to allow overbroad and ill-considered remedies and processes such as those contained within SOPA threatens the very freedom that serves as the foundation of the Internet.

If SOPA passes in its current form, the rights of users (who are the Internet) will be wholly and totally subjugated to the rights of intellectual property holders. This simply cannot stand.

We applaud those who oppose SOPA and are proud to join their ranks.

Our CEO has also made the following statement:

While we at Namecheap firmly believe in intellectual rights, SOPA is like detonating a nuclear bomb on the internet when only a surgical strike is necessary. This legislation has the potential to harm the way everyone uses the Internet and to undermine the system itself. At Namecheap, we believe having a free and open Internet is the only option that will continue the legacy of innovation and openess that stands for everything we all value in our modern society.